Page 30 of Actions and Reactions (All It Takes #5)

Ivan

After reading Si’s last text I’m left wondering what’s even real anymore, but I don’t have a lot of time to do it since I’m at some studio downtown with the whole team and we’re making videos for sick intros before our games, and it’s going to be my turn soon.

I started out the day going for a run with Lex and Dad—I won—and then met up with the Pirates here. As soon as we’re done I’m going back home to have dinner with Dad and his girlfriend—and damn, that’s still such a weird sentence—and I’m staying there for the night too.

Tomorrow we have practice at the Empire’s practice rink, and then I’m not going to be able to go back home, because it’s pre-game protocol, but I’m taking advantage of the time I do have with Dad and Lex right now.

I know Gab’s making an exception for me, and I appreciate it more than she can know, but I also need to make the team a priority. I don’t want to jeopardize our game because of my personal bullshit.

The producer calls my name, and as she gives me some instructions on how to cross or uncross my arms, what to do with my damn head, and all kinds of things about my eyebrows, my mind goes right back to Si.

I wish I could talk to him, really talk to him, and ask how he’s doing—if he’s in any pain still, what this trauma center is like—but I am glad he texted and that we can still stay in relative contact, even if it’s only for a short time every day.

I bid the guys goodbye when I’m done with my part for the day, then grab Dad’s car and settle in for LA traffic. By the time I get home it’s going on three and Dad is practically waiting at the door for me.

“What took you so long?” he asks urgently, and yeah, he looks a lot more nervous than he did this morning when I left. “I need to go pick up some things from the store.”

“Why didn’t you just get an Uber or something?” I hand him the keys without prompting.

“Because I didn’t know when you’d get here,” he snaps then walks away.

“You better be showered and wearing something decent when I get back. I had to lend your brother some real pants since he only brought fucking sweatpants.” He’s out the door before I can comment on that, and I guess it’s a good thing, because I was going to point out how that right there is a sign that Lex is already as tall as him .

I stopped at six-four but my little brother is already an inch taller than me, and if that doesn’t bruise the ego, then I don’t know what will.

I walk by his room and see him lying on his bed, the infamous pants on the armchair by the window.

“What’s up?”

He keeps looking at his phone.

“Dad’s losing his shit because he thinks we’re going to embarrass him.”

“Did he think we weren’t?” I’m genuinely surprised.

Lex snorts. “I know, right?”

“Well, they’re getting here soon, so let’s not make it worse for him until we’re all eating and we can actually embarrass him, yeah?” I don’t want us to leave Ally waiting.

I hurry through my shower and put on my good jeans and one of the T-shirts I have with no holes in it—I’m making an effort—and by the time I walk into the kitchen, I see Corinne has everything ready to go and I can smell a roast cooking in the oven.

“This looks awesome, Corinne,” I tell her while I get a Sprite from the fridge.

“Your Dad’s nervous, Vinny. Don’t be mean to him,” she tells me without looking up from the counter where she’s kneading some dough for something that will more than likely kill my diet, but I know it’ll be worth it.

“You know we have to give him some shit for this, Corinne,” I defend us. “I mean, it’s Alaina Newman,” I cry out.

“I know,” she mumbles .

“Have you met her?” I whisper urgently, and at first she doesn’t answer but I know the instant she looks up. “Oh my God, you’ve totally met her. What’s she like?”

I pull out one of the stools from under the counter and sit, ready to hear all about it.

“She’s a real nice lady, Vinny, that’s all you need to know.

And I think she likes your Dad a lot.” I know there’s more she’s not saying, so again I wait her out, and sure enough not five seconds later she takes a step so she’s right in front of me and leans on the counter to whisper.

“I heard your Mom and Dad talking the other day about her, and your Mom was squealing like a schoolgirl over every detail your Dad was spilling, so I think he’s really excited about this.

” Her smile is so big, I think she looks like a schoolgirl, but I keep that to myself.

“I mean, he hasn’t really dated anyone since the divorce, right?” I ask, because honestly, Corinne would know more about that than me.

“No.” She shakes her head hard, two times. “No one.”

“All right, I’ll tell Lex we can’t give him too much shit, at least not in front of her.”

“Good boy.” She almost pats my hand but stops herself, looks around and grabs a spatula, pats my hand with that, then throws it into the sink. “Now go fix your hair or something.”

My hair is super short and doesn’t really move, so I have no clue what she’s talking about, but I do go to Lex’s room, rip his phone right from his hand, put it in my pocket, then run away to the living room.

“We’re playing Madden until they get here,” I shout behind me and hear his thundering steps—way faster than they used to be.

Fuck, he really is growing a lot.

“Your Dad’s been teaching me all about hockey,” Ally—as she asked us to call her—tells me and Lex when we walk into the dining room.

“She’s getting the hang of it,” Dad says, and I can hear the nerves in his voice.

“I think I am,” she says with a growing smile when she turns to look at Dad holding a chair for her, and I’m happy to see that she takes his hand right away when he sits next to her.

Corey sits on her other side, and I see he has a small smile as he looks over at Dad and Ally. I was happy when he hugged Dad as a greeting. I wouldn’t want him giving him shit, even if I would understand it.

“We watched replays of the playoffs from last season,” she continues and looks right at me.

Fuck, that is one powerful gaze.

She has relatively normal eyes—hazel, not too big—but I don’t know what it is about them that makes everyone in the world get lost in them.

“So you got to see Eagle in action,” Lex says teasingly.

“What does that mean?” Corey asks, his tone is more subdued than Lex’s—but he’s also not shy, which is good, we’ll probably get along fine. But seeing Dad with his girlfriend is just making me nervous now because he looks so fucking happy.

I want to help him stay that way.

“Eagle is my nickname,” I tell him, and grab my napkin to put it on my thighs, then send Lex a significant look to do the same, which he hurries to do—I’m glad to see I’m still the big brother in some areas.

“Like Ruko is Hulk,” Ally tells her son.

“Oh, right. Do they give everyone nicknames?”

“I’ve only been on two teams,” I explain. “But I think it’s a pretty universal thing, yes.”

“Do you choose your nickname or...?” He trails off and I have to swallow hard so I don’t automatically burst into tears. That would definitely embarrass Dad, but damn, it’s been a long time since I’ve thought of the day I got my nickname.

“It’s different for everyone. Some get them when they’re really young, like our goalie, Bear.

He kinda looks like a bear, but he got his nickname because he’s a Momma Bear and always takes care of everyone—even back in high school.

Jules, our captain, had another nickname I believe, but when they named him captain of the Pirates, he became Picard, and when new guys get to the team we ask them if they like their nickname, and if they don’t we give them a new one. ”

“So it’s a pretty big deal, huh?” he asks, and that’s when Corinne comes in with the big salad bowl. I really appreciate the way Ally greets her, asks her how she is, and then introduces Corey to her .

“It’s how you’re known across the league,” I tell Corey when Corinne walks back out. “I think there are more than a few people back home who don’t even know my name is Ivan.” I chuckle at that.

“But you wear your name on your jerseys, don’t you?” He looks confused and tilts his head in a way that reminds me of Hawk, like a puppy.

“They call them sweaters,” Ally pipes in, and looks proud of herself for remembering.

“Yeah,” I chuckle lightly. “And we have our last names on our sweaters, but really, only the announcers care about those. Even fans call me Eagle whenever they see me out and about, not only my teammates. The only ones who call me Ivan are my parents, and only when they’re mad.

” I smirk over at Dad and he rolls his eyes at me.

“So you’re Eagle because you’re fast, right?” Ally asks me.

“No, actually.” I chuckle to get rid of the sudden tension in my chest. “It’s because of how I see the plays and can find the puck no matter how fast it’s going.”

“And it really goes very fast!” Ally tells her son. “The first few games I saw I could barely see it.”

“I had to put some plays in slow motion for her,” Dad says, and I really fucking love the way she playfully swats at his arm.

“So you’re going to be teaching me some too on Monday, right?” Corey asks Dad and then Lex.

They agree easily and then start asking Lex all kinds of questions. All the while I remember that day ten years ago when I was just doing my thing, but that seemed to be enough to impress our coach and Si, and he gave me my nickname.

And then I gave him his.

Dad, the asshole that he is, wore his own sweater from the Empire to our game against LA, but Ally, Corey, and Lex wore my number and name on their backs.

That was something for sure, one of those things you never think will happen.

I’ve had other celebrities wearing my sweater at games, and it’s always fun, but yeah... a legend like her, you gotta respect it. Even after spending a few hours getting to know her the other day, it’s still surreal. It’ll definitely take some getting used to.